In their first 109 games this season Blue Jays starters failed to pitch five innings 23 times.

That’s the second highest total, behind only the last-place Milwaukee Brewers.

At the end of some series you can almost see a dugout-to-mound path created by pitching coach Pete Walker and manager John Gibbons like footsteps in a new snowfall.

Gibbons has had to lift more starters this year than his previous five seasons.

Now, it’s time to pull that Sportsnet commercial. You’ve seen it: R.A. Dickey addressing the media at his Jan. 9 press conference.

The knuckleballer talked about the talks with general manager Alex Anthopoulos during the 72 hours the New York Mets gave the Jays to work out a contract extension. Dickey listened to Anthopoulos’ pitch, his vision for 2013 and beyond.

“I’ll tell him now, but I was all in,” Dickey told reporters, an ad we saw again this week.